


The People We Love (The People Who Love Us)

by Lumelle



Series: Alpha, Beta, Gamma Radiation [4]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Young Avengers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gender Identity, Genderqueer Character, Homophobia, M/M, Omega Billy Kaplan, Scent Marking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-21
Updated: 2013-09-21
Packaged: 2017-12-27 06:14:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/975399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Lumelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teddy has never truly fit in, not in a world so very obsessed about alphas and betas and omegas. However, he's never felt the difference as keenly as when he meets Billy, a brilliant, wonderful young omega who could never possibly like him. Because Billy prefers omegas, and Teddy isn't anything at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The People We Love (The People Who Love Us)

**Author's Note:**

> For a while now I've been wondering about how gender identities and non-standard orientations work in an A/B/O world. I decided there could be no better couple to explore them than with Wiccan and Hulkling, given their canonical homosexuality and Teddy being, well, not human.
> 
>  
> 
> **Due to the nature of Alpha/Beta/Omega, this fic contains references to possessive behavior and scent marking, as well as implied mpreg. The story also contains instances of homophobia and bullying, as well as gender identity issues and mentions of dysphoria. Please read accordingly.**

Sometimes, Teddy wished he'd been roughly ten years younger. Maybe eleven, enough to take him back to four. Things were so much easier when you were four than fifteen.

Sure, some things were better now, like being able to go out without his mother, and having a much more reasonable bedtime and more allowance, and being so very close to being able to drive. However, there were still times when he wished so very hard he could have gone back to when his mother had taken him to see Santa, all of four years old and bright-eyed at the miracle of meeting the man himself.

"And what are you, little one?" the Santa had asked, left at a loss with big blue eyes and overgrown blond hair that brushed the collar of his coat. It was okay, though; at least he was smiling when he asked, and not making fun of Teddy.

"I'm a boy," Teddy had answered, and received a pat on the head and got to take a picture with Santa. That had been enough back then. If he'd tried to answer the same question that way now, he would have gotten an impatient look and a repeat, maybe some sharp words about not being such a smart ass. Boy wasn't enough; you had to be something else, too, alpha or beta or omega.

For Teddy, "boy" had always sufficed. Sometimes he wondered why it wasn't enough for anyone else.

He knew why it was important, of course. Male only described how he appeared outwardly, not how he worked in the inside. People could see now that he was a guy, could see the flat chest and strong arms and tall frame; that wasn't what they were asking, not since the nice though slightly confused Santa. What they really wanted to know, when it came down to it, was whether he'd become a mother or a father, some day, and who he would do so with.

The questions had gotten rarer as well. He was old enough that people expected to be able to smell the answer on him, to take one sniff at him and be able to put a label on him. His mother had explained as much when puberty had come in fast and hard, leaving him approximately twice his previous size in its wake. At your age, you're supposed to smell of something, she had told him, and laid three bottles in front of him to choose from. Just a spritz, and people would be satisfied.

He'd chosen beta, the one that was the easiest to emulate in the long run. If people smelled a beta, they would not ask why his head didn't turn towards every omega nearing heat, or eventually start to wonder why his heat never came. It wasn't the perfect solution, of course, but it was better than the alternative of constant questions and wondering.

It felt like cheating, sometimes, like he was living a lie just by putting on the artificial scent. They were actually made for trans people, his mother had explained, who knew they were a different gender from the one their body claimed to be. Teddy was fine not being anything, felt like a fraud every time he added the scent before heading out, felt a twist in his stomach every time he saw his mother doing the same. They shouldn't have needed this, shouldn't have had any reason to mask themselves, but if there was one thing he'd already known at four, it was that they had to fit in. Always, always fit in, no matter what it took.

He experimented sometimes, in front of the mirror, late at night after his mother had told him good night. He changed his shape and size, made himself female sometimes, fought his flush when he tried to form a knot. Sometimes he even added other scents from the extra bottles his mother kept just in case, alpha, omega, tried to imagine himself as something else. Maybe if he found the right shape, the right feeling, he would know what he was, where he belonged.

The experiments always ended with a hot shower to wash away all scents and him slinking away to bed as nothing but himself, nothing but Teddy. Just a boy, end of. It was enough for him to know, all there was to know about the matter.

He just wished it had been enough for everyone else, too.

*

Starting high school was an interesting experience.

He supposed part of it came from the fact he'd been at an Episcopalian school until then. While it hadn't been as religious as some he'd heard about, he had certainly learned more about the Bible than about matters of sex and sexuality. All his teachers had really had to say about the matter was not to do it, and even that had been considered somewhat too explicit for middle school kids to hear. Sure, everyone had talked about it, fascinating as it was, but in hushed tones and closed circles, as one would about a great secret.

Now, he was at high school, and while the teachers weren't much more eager to enlighten them, the students certainly talked more. He wasn't sure if it was the less religious atmosphere, increasing hormones, or both, but it seemed he couldn't get through a corridor without hearing about how many girls that one beta guy had gone through or how that one senior omega had skipped school for his heat. Everyone was talking about sex, about who was having it or not having it and with whom, and who they would like to have it with if they had the chance, and who was definitely out. It seemed strange, this newfound obsession everyone seemed to have, and made him wonder if he'd ever see the sense of it.

Then he woke up one morning with the fleeting memory of a very intense dream about an alpha guy in the basketball team, and understood every bit of it.

Of course, he didn't tell a soul about his crush. He didn't let even the slightest hint pass, didn't even allow himself any wandering eyes in the locker room. Nobody could know, not if he wanted to avoid trouble. And trouble was the last thing he needed.

Betas dated betas, that was the rule, one guy and one girl and that was it. Anyone even suggesting otherwise was leaving themselves open for ridicule and pain. An alpha could only date an omega, too, so his crush was doomed from the start. Even though he doubted many would have dared to try to bully him, given his strength and size, it wouldn't have done much for his popularity if anyone had found out.

He was trying hard enough to fit in as it was. He couldn't afford to throw that away so easily, especially when he never had eyes for anyone but omegas.

There were moments, brief, fleeting ones, when he thought about trying to become an omega. However, he dismissed the thought as ridiculous. Sure, he was certain he could carry children if he wanted; that much was apparent from the fact he could shift into a girl at will. That wasn't what alphas wanted, though. What they wanted was someone to protect, someone to claim as their own. Someone who would take their scent and eventually share heats with them, be their mate, their own. Someone who could bond with them, some day, if everything went right.

Teddy could never become anyone's bonded. He didn't have the gland, couldn't make one if he tried, and considering his poor track record with other pheromones he rather doubted he would have reacted to it if he'd tried to bond with an omega instead. He was fated to date betas, girls if he had any sense to him. So what if his stupid hormones and stupid mind and stupid heart were all so intensely fixated on the "guy" part and ignored the rest.

So far, he had handled his situation by simply not dating anyone. It was the easiest way, at least for now. Once he was out of school, he might consider other options, might have more alternatives once he was out of the hellish world of high school social politics. All he had to do was survive a few more years, try not to attract attention, and absolutely, definitely not actually fall in love with anyone. Not if he wanted to fit in, and fitting in was more important than anything.

He wasn't sure what changed things more, looking back later, his last meeting with Greg or his first one with Billy, but considering they happened one after the other he had little trouble pinpointing the day his priorities decided to turn upside down and join a hand-standing club.

*

It was stupid, as he well knew. He'd known it from the start, but approval was a strong motivation for even the stupidest things, even for someone who hadn't spent his whole life trying desperately to fit in. And when the guy he looked up to, was attracted to, considered his friend even asked him to do something, he wasn't going to say no.

It had been easy to brush away his doubts and guilt, at first. After all, he wasn't actually hurting anyone. Sure, he took on other faces, other appearances that weren't his, but other than that he never did anything actually wrong. The way he saw it — the way Greg told him to see it — the people who were excited to see whatever celebrity he was imitating had a good time, regardless of how genuine he was on the inside. And when it got Greg to smile at him, smile at him and spend time with him and call him his best friend, it wasn't a hard decision.

However, even he had some lines he wasn't going to cross. Principles he wasn't about to abandon — heroes he could not betray. When Greg asked him to take on the face of Tony Stark to get them to the ruins of a house the Avengers had used as a secondary headquarters, he didn't hesitate. However, when Greg then wanted to loot the place, picking through the destruction for bits and pieces of people's lives, Teddy turned away and didn't look back.

It was going to make things difficult, he knew that much. He didn't think Greg was going to tell anyone on him; even if anyone had believed him, Greg wasn't going to take the risk of having anyone know about the technically less than legal things they had done, such as walking into clubs they had no business entering for years yet. However, baseball club was going to get difficult. The others wouldn't turn him away, not when he was one of their strongest players, but he couldn't get through practice without seeing Greg, without thinking of him. Not that he'd actually lost anything, of course. All Greg cared about were omegas, the prettier the better, and Teddy did not exactly fit that mold. Besides, the last thing he needed was the approval of someone who had only used him for his own ends.

That didn't make it hurt any less, though.

He should have looked where he was going, of course. He certainly shouldn't have just rushed around the corner, not like that, but he wasn't really thinking. It wasn't until he came to a halt, realizing he had just literally ran into someone and knocked them over, that he even realized his feet had brought him to his favorite comic book store, following an old path without any actual input from his brain.

The unfortunate victim of his rush was lying at his feet, a boy about his own age with messy black hair, looking up at him with wide, dark eyes. There was wariness in them, though not fear, and one of them was circled with a big, ugly bruise. Teddy blinked. "Oh, God. Did I do that?"

"Uh, I'm not exactly that fragile, thanks." The boy eyed the hand he reached out suspiciously, the wariness still in his eyes as he grasped it as though expecting a trap. Teddy made note of this, careful as he helped him up. "Uh. Sorry. About the whole running into you thing, that is."

"Pretty sure that was my fault." Teddy ran a hand over his hair, his own blonde mess again. "Um. You all right?"

"More or less." The boy bent down to pick up something he had dropped as he fell. A comic book. An Avengers comic book.

"Shit, is that the new issue?" Teddy blurted before he could stop himself. At the quizzical gaze he received, he had to fight down a flush. "I, uh, I totally forgot that came out today."

"Teddy Altman likes comics?"

"Are you kidding? I'm basically addicted." His brain apparently being a bit slow at playing pick-up today, Teddy blinked. "Wait. How do you know my name?"

"How indeed. Not that many big, strong basketball stars on the school team." As Teddy apparently still looked as confused as he felt, the boy rolled his eyes. They were, Teddy noted in something of a daze, dark enough to be almost black. "I go to the same school as you, genius."

"Right. Um." Teddy scratched the back of his head, feeling sheepish. "Sorry, I don't think I know your name."

"That's fine. The only ones who bother to remember it seem to be the ones intent on giving me more of these." He pointed at the bruise. "And, let's be honest, you could probably make me a stain on the pavement if you wanted to, so I'll rather just be forgotten, thanks."

"I'd never do that!" Teddy was genuinely horrified. Yeah, he knew some of the bigger guys took advantage of their size in ways he could never approve of, but he'd had it drilled into his head from childhood that he was never, ever to use his strength to hurt others. Not unless it was to protect someone else.

"Yeah, I'm actually inclined to believe that, considering your earlier panic, but sadly that's not a very popular opinion around me." He took on a wry smile. "So, as nice as it is to stand here and chat, were you going somewhere? Seeing as you seemed to be in a hurry and all."

"Frankly, I was more concerned with getting away from somewhere than reaching a destination." Okay, Teddy, act normal. You know how to act normal, right? "Uh. Did you read that yet?"

"Most of it, yeah." Suspicion was back in the dark eyes, and Teddy felt awful. "Why so?"

"I wasn't kidding when I said I'd forgot it came out today." Teddy tried his best at a disarming smile. "How about I buy you a coffee to make up for running all over you, and in return you can give me all the best spoilers?" He hoped it didn't sound too much like an invitation for a date. Sure, the boy was cute, but that probably would have been far too forward of him.

The boy tilted his head to the side. "…You do know that being spotted with me is basically social suicide, right?"

"Well, considering you won't even tell me who you are, I can't possibly know that," Teddy replied, forcing himself to put on a small grin. "Also, considering I just told Greg Norris to basically screw off, I'm not sure anything can salvage my social standing any time soon."

"Greg Norris? Of the basketball team?" The boy whistled. "I thought you guys were best friends."

"Yeah, well, apparently not. So, maybe you should be worried about being seen with me."

"Hmm… nah, don't think so. I'm already so far down the social hierarchy, I've got my very own scale to be all alone on." He gave Teddy a humorless grin. "Billy Kaplan."

Teddy frowned. The name did ring a bell, though he'd never heard it spoken in positive tones. "So you are…"

"The gay Jewish geek who can't ever shut up, as evident here. You know, just so everyone can have their pick of a reason to beat me up when they want to show off how much of a big strong alpha they are or whatever." Billy gave him a crooked grin. It might have seemed more playful if not for the bruised eye and hint of a split lip that had just barely healed.

"I already told you," Teddy said, his tone soft, "I would never hit you." Because sadly, that was the best he could offer right now.

"And I told you I more or less believe you at the moment. But I also know on the street is pretty different from school."

"So would you trust me if I gave you some ammunition against me?" It was foolish, he knew it was. But right now, he would have done just about anything to take that suspicion away from Billy's eyes. And, well, if Billy could be so open, it was only fair.

"What, so if you do hit me, I can spread the dirt?" Billy raised his eyebrows.

"More or less." Teddy shrugged. "…The reason I hung around Greg as long as I did is that I had the worst crush on him."

Now, Billy's eyes widened, taking on a hint of deep chocolate brown. "You mean…"

"I mean that the only thing on your list I'm not is Jewish," Teddy said. "So if I were to beat you up for any of that, I'd be pretty hypocritical."

"Never stopped anyone before, but I'll take your word for it." Billy tilted his head, as though considering the matter, before giving Teddy another crooked grin. "So. Coffee and geek talk? I know a good place right near here."

"Lead the way." He waited until Billy had turned away, then took a small, hopefully subtle sniff of the air. Faint hint of an omega, one that he was pretty sure came from Billy. Well. That would certainly explain why the more insecure alphas took offense at his orientation, then. Some of them seemed to regard all free omegas as rightfully theirs.

A small, surprisingly vengeful part of Teddy's heart wanted nothing as much as to find each and every one of them and make them pay.

*

It had been two weeks since he'd met Billy for the first time, and nine more meetings they'd managed to fit between school and chores and Teddy's basketball practice and Billy babysitting his brothers, but Teddy was yet to meet Billy at school. He supposed it kind of made sense; after all, their paths hadn't crossed before, the school being big as it was, and with regular meetings outside school they hadn't had much of a reason to seek each other out. Besides, he wasn't even sure if Billy wanted him to do so, which was enough reason for him to refrain. He didn't want to come across as some kind of a stalker.

It was bad enough he was pretty sure he was forming the worst kind of a crush on Billy already.

As such, his new friend was the farthest thing from his mind as he noticed a commotion at one of the hallways. Walking closer, he took full advantage of his tall frame to look over the gaggle of gathered students. What he saw made his heart freeze.

Kessler. One of the worst bullies at the school, surrounded by onlookers. And the one he had lifted up against the wall was Billy.

It was a good thing his frame was large enough to make people make way more or less automatically. He wasn't sure he would have had the patience to politely make his way to the front. As it was, he got to the front of the crowd fast enough that neither Kessler nor Billy seemed to notice him until his hand closed around Kessler's arm.

"Let go." He could have broken Kessler's arm, then and there. He could have shattered the bone beyond repair if he'd wanted to. However, that would have only brought him down to the idiot's level; he'd never allowed himself to use his strength like that, and wasn't about to start now. All he did was hold on just hard enough to make it painful, without doing any actual damage.

At first, Kessler looked like he was going to protest. However, as Teddy tightened his grip just a bit, he loosened his hold on Billy, letting him fall down. As Teddy let go as well, Kessler turned to glare at him.

"And what do you care?" Kessler spat. "You playing at being his big, strong mate or something?"

God, yes, his heart screamed, but thankfully his brain wasn't quite that easily overcome. "I'm his friend," he said, allowing no hint of uncertainty into his voice even as the whispers started going through the crowd of onlookers. "And if you or anyone else ever hurts him again, I'm going to find the culprit and put a fist through their face." And, for Billy, he probably would have actually done that.

"Fag." Kessler sneered, and for a moment Teddy almost thought he was going to attack him, now, calling his cronies for help. That would have been bad; he'd have had to choose between beating them all up, something he knew well he could do but didn't really want to, or letting them beat him, which would then bring problems because he couldn't slow down his healing to normal if he tried. However, just as he was trying to figure out which option would get him in more trouble with his mother, Kessler spat on the ground. "Fine. Like I'd want to mess my hands on your boytoy anyway."

Teddy waited until Kessler had started to walk away, the crowd dispersing a little, then turned to Billy. "You all right?"

"Nothing really hurt but my pride," Billy sighed, accepting the hand up. "I should probably ask the same about you."

"Eh. I've not exactly been popular since my fight with Greg, anyway, and anyone who'd turn on me for this isn't worth keeping around, anyway." He let his hand hold onto Billy's perhaps a moment longer than necessary before letting go. "Um. Sorry if that was too intrusive or something. I didn't mean to wound your pride or anything."

"Eh, pretty sure I'll survive. My reputation can only go up, especially now that the star athlete is apparently on my side." Billy gave him a wry smile. "A few bruises less to explain to my mom is good news in my books."

"I'm sorry." For letting this happen, for not noticing before, for not actually being able to guarantee it wasn't going to be happening again.

"Don't be." Billy shook his head. "At least with you I know you weren't thinking I'm a poor little omega who can't defend himself." He flashed Teddy a quick grin.

Teddy managed a grin in response. "You know I'm just trying to keep you in one piece to secure my access to your comic book collection."

"Always knew my geekiness was going to pay off some day." Billy chuckled. "So, I've got to run to next class, and I'm pretty sure so do you. Meet at the usual place?"

"Uh. Yeah." And, damn, he knew he was blushing, now, couldn't will it down fast enough. "See you then."

Billy just grinned, though, before heading off, not commenting on how utterly obvious he was. Well, he was probably lucky that Billy hadn't tried pushing him off entirely, yet.

He should just enjoy all the time he had until then… and do everything he could to keep Billy safe.

*

"Well, don't you look cheerful today." Teddy sat down on the park bench, close enough that he could have reached out to touch Billy if he'd wanted to. If he'd dared to. "Bad day?"

"Eh, this and that." Billy gave him a weary smile, taking a sip of his coke can before setting it to his side, between them. "Got out of school without injuries, and then I had to drag myself to the doctor."

"Oh?" Teddy frowned. "Are you sick or something? You shouldn't be out, then, I could have just come over to your place."

"Nah, nothing like that." Billy chuckled a bit. "I just had to get a shot, that's all."

"Ouch." Teddy grimaced. He'd never had shots himself; his mother had opted him out of them, as the doctors might have noticed him healing the mark right away and he didn't need the immunity, anyway. However, he knew enough to understand it wasn't a pleasant experience. "Against what?"

Billy's cheeks tinged a bit with pink, as though embarrassed. "Uh. Heats."

"What?" Teddy blinked. He'd surely heard that wrong. "Those… aren't a disease, right?"

"Of course not." Billy shifted a bit, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "It's, well, technically it's a contraceptive, but because of how it works, it also prevents heats from coming in. A lot of omegas start taking it from puberty, at least until they're legal."

"Right." Because Billy was an omega. One day, he would have heats, heats that he would want to share with someone. Someone who, as he well knew, would not be Teddy. "I mean, I know I'm not exactly an expert on the subject, but I'd assume it's not nice to go through that without a partner."

Billy seemed to relax, at least a bit, as he saw Teddy wasn't freaking out at the subject or something equally unfortunate. Good. The last thing he wanted was to make Billy uncomfortable. "So I've been told, yeah." He ran a fingertip along the rim of his coke can, a movement that Teddy found almost hypnotic. 

"Billy?" Teddy frowned. Though Billy'd relaxed, this was still a bit unusual for him. "Is something the matter?"

"No." The answer was a bit too quick, and as Teddy gave him a look, he sighed. "Well, yes. It's just… the whole thing seems so bizarre to me, you know? I mean… I'm supposed to have an alpha for that, and I don't even want one."

"Isn't that supposed to change, though?" Teddy asked, tilting his head to the side. "I mean, aren't heats basically your body's way of telling you it wants an alpha?"

"You know, I realize you're trying to be comforting, but that just terrifies me." Billy shook his head. "I don't like alphas. That's about the one thing I do know about myself. I'd rather not think it could be changed by some stupid hormones I didn't even ask for."

"Ah. Right." And now, Teddy felt like a total heel. "I, ah, I didn't mean —"

"I know you didn't." Billy managed a faint smile, now. "It's fine. I mean, I know that's not going to happen, not really. There are adult gay omegas who've gone through heats for years and still say that alphas don't do it for them, not even during heat. So I know that's not how it works, but… well. It still terrifies me, sometimes."

"Yeah, I get that." And he did. He knew it, knew it to be true with all the intensity of countless nights spent scrubbing false scents out of his skin, unable to get to sleep before he knew he was nothing and nobody but himself. Knew how terrified he was that some day he'd take on another face and forget his own.

"You know, when you say that, I actually believe you."

"Good." Teddy reached over to cover Billy's hand with his, only for a moment, and squeezed it briefly. "I know you'll find someone, though. Someone who'll want to share both your heats and the rest of your life."

Billy murmured something, almost too low for Teddy's ears to hear, but almost wasn't enough. "I wish it could be you."

"What?" Teddy looked up from their joined hands, startled. His reaction seemed to shock Billy, who drew back, hand snaking out of Teddy's in a flash as he recoiled as though afraid of being struck.

"Shit, I so did not mean to say that," Billy breathed. "Please don't hit me, I know you've promised not to but still, I know that was pretty fucked up and I swear I didn't —"

"Billy? Billy, calm down." Teddy was almost starting to panic himself, and that wouldn't help anyone. "Billy, please, look at me. It's okay, Bee…"

"But it's not okay," Billy sighed. "I know it's not. I shouldn't say things like that when I know you're not…" He trailed off.

"I'm not what?" Teddy did his best to keep his voice calm and soft. "Please, Billy. What am I not?"

Billy cast his eyes aside, mumbling again. "Interested in me."

Teddy blinked. He'd thought he was being painfully obvious. "…Why do you think that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Billy lifted his eyes to Teddy again, looking pained. "You're gay. If you were a straight beta, I might have some chance, I know some of them are into omegas, too, but —"

"Bee, just stop for a second, okay?" Teddy gave him a small smile. "How about I tell you a secret?" It wasn't the best idea he'd ever had, far from it, but then, neither had been telling Greg about his abilities. And, well, it wasn't like there was anyone else close enough to hear right now.

Billy blinked. "Secret?"

"Yeah. Something nobody but my mom knows. You can keep a secret, right?"

"Right." There was a somewhat dubious look on Billy's face. Not that Teddy could blame him; after all, he had no idea what was to come.

Teddy drew a deep breath. He wasn't sure how this was going to go over, but he had to try at least. "Billy, I'm not a beta."

At first, Billy just stared. Then, he shook his head, giving a weak chuckle. "Yeah, right. I do have a nose, you know."

"No, seriously." Teddy sighed. "I'm not a beta. I'm — I'm not anything, really. Genderqueer? I think that's the word." He resisted the very strong urge to fidget. "The beta scent — that's from a bottle. It's not that I feel like a beta, it's just easier if I pass as one."

"But… how can you not be anything?" Billy tilted his head quizzically to the side.

"I've no idea. It's some kind of hormone deficiency or something; my mom's got the same thing." At least it was close enough to truth. It wasn't like Teddy himself was entirely clear about the cause. "I don't have any pheromones, and I don't react to them. I mean, I can smell them if I focus, so I can tell what people are, but most of the time I don't really pay attention. To me, people are just men and women, nothing beyond that. "

"Um." Billy stared at his can, still resting between them. "So… what does that mean?"

"It means that when I say I'm gay… for me it means I'm into guys, full stop." Teddy looked at Billy until he raised his gaze, then looked him straight in the eye, hoping to convey his feelings. "Alpha, beta, omega — that doesn't matter to me, not really. And… I really, really like you, no matter what you are."

For a moment, Billy stared at him, and in a terrifying way Teddy was reminded of the first time Billy had looked at his outstretched hand as though fearing a trap. Then, he spoke, his tone soft. "You're serious."

"Yeah, I kind of am." Teddy sighed. "I… sorry. I know that's something I probably should have mentioned before, but… it's kind of a big bomb to drop on someone, and I didn't want to scare you away right off the bat." Never mind the other secrets. "I… I honestly haven't told anyone else, not before. People put so much weight on that stuff, I… kind of feel like a freak."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Well, not exactly, but… you know." Billy bit his lip, and something about that was so ridiculously endearing it made Teddy's heart feel three times too big for his chest. Possibly four. "So, you actually like me?"

"I do." Teddy hoped he could convey everything he felt through his voice. "You're funny and smart and cute and you might just be the first person I've ever met who likes the Avengers more than I do, and every time I find an excuse to touch you I just want to grab hold of you and never let go again."

"Uh. Right." Billy worried his lip again. "So… you wanna go out on Saturday?"

Teddy blinked, then laughed. "You really don't hesitate much, do you?"

"Hey, I figure, I'm obviously dreaming, so if I dally too much, I might wake up before I get to the good part." Billy tilted his head, smiling a bit, and though the uncertainty was still there, he didn't seem as fearful anymore.

"Well, if this is a dream, I for one am not offering to pinch you." At last, he managed a proper smile without hesitation. "Saturday sounds good."

"Great. Saturday it is." This time, it was Billy who reached out his hand and covered Teddy's with his own. "And… it really doesn't matter to me what you smell or don't smell like. Um. Just so you know."

Teddy turned his hand, grasping Billy's, and decided the world was absolutely perfect.

*

Teddy was so nervous, he felt ready to puke.

It was ridiculous, of course. He already knew Billy liked him, and Billy knew Teddy liked him right back, and they were going to have a nice and proper date and have fun. However, the part of him that was always concerned with fitting in and not attracting too much attention was more or less screaming in despair, certain that everything would be lost now.

He felt like everyone was staring at him as he walked toward their meeting place. He knew it wasn't true, of course; one or two people glanced at him if they passed close enough, that was all. People in general didn't have enough time to worry about a single teenage boy not giving off a gendered smell, not if they weren't dealing with him directly. Still, he'd spent long enough stressing about remembering every detail that purposefully forgoing such an important one seemed to spell certain doom.

Billy would notice, though. Billy would notice and know once and for all just how much of a freak he was, and probably never want to have anything to do with him again, and all right Teddy about time you breathe a little.

It was about time he got himself together anyway, as he could already see Billy waiting for him. If possible, Billy looked even prettier than usual, wearing a light t-shirt that made it clear just how dark his eyes and hair were. As he saw Teddy approaching, he took on a smile. "Hi, Teddy."

"Hi, Billy." Teddy managed a smile in return. "Hope I wasn't too late."

"Nah, I got all nervous and fidgety and left the house far too early." Billy took a small sniff of the air and then blinked. "Wow. You really don't smell like a beta."

"Told you." Teddy resisted the urge to fidget. "I mean, I did think of putting on some omega scent, but… that would have felt like cheating." Because Billy knew the truth, and he deserved nothing less.

Billy's smile put him at ease, as much as possible, at least. "I told you, I don't mind either way. Not when it's you." He came closer, close enough they were almost touching. "So this is what Teddy smells like."

"Uh, I guess." Nobody had ever been curious about that. They didn't care what he smelled like, but what he smelled of.

"I like it." Billy stepped even closer, close enough that their chests were touching. He wasn't short, not really, but he wasn't a basketball player, either. With Teddy's height, his head fell right under Teddy's chin. Billy nuzzled closer, his hair brushing against the sensitive skin of Teddy's throat.

It was instinctive, Teddy reminded himself, feeling just a bit weird about it. The scent of most alphas and betas was the strongest at the throat area, so an omega nuzzling there would usually be marking themselves with the scent of their mate.

Any actual beta wouldn't have needed to think about it; they would have known as easily as Billy knew to do it, would have tucked him under their chin without a second thought. For Teddy, it was one of the things he'd had to learn and ask and remember about, that's why this is done this is how you're supposed to do it now don't mess this up.

Taking a deep breath, he reached his arms around Billy and held him close, just for a moment, before they both drew apart again.

He supposed the date went well enough, though his main indicator of that was the fact that Billy was still smiling at the end of it, apparently still willing to see him again. Teddy honestly couldn't remember most of it, somehow making his way home without running into a wall or something equally embarrassing.

His mom came to his room just in time to see him collapse on the bed. "Hey, mom?" He didn't lift his head from the pillow, but he knew she'd hear him anyway. She was talented like that. "I think I'm in love."

"With Billy, right?" Yeah, totally obvious if even she had noticed. "I'm glad to hear that, honey."

"Except I shouldn't be," he sighed. "It's never going to work."

"And why not?" She walked closer, now, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Billy seems like a nice boy, and even I can see he likes you right back."

"Except that he doesn't, not really. Maybe he thinks he does, but he's going to realize sooner or later that he doesn't. He likes omegas, and I'm not one."

"You could be, if you wanted to." Her voice was very soft, now, playing at the edge of his hearing.

"No, I couldn't. I could pretend, but I couldn't actually be one. Not the way he wants and needs." He finally turned over, looking at her, not bothering to blink away the tears in his eyes. "Why am I broken, Mom?"

"Oh, Teddy." She sighed, reaching a hand to brush against the side of his face. "You're not broken, honey. You're a wonderful, brilliant boy, and there's nothing about you that's broken."

"Yes, there is." His tone was harsher than he'd meant, but it cracked at the end. "Everything about me is wrong."

"That's not true." She glanced away, now, seeming to hesitate a bit. "You know, Teddy, there's nothing wrong with you, or with me. And I don't just mean what it's okay to be different or something like that. Just… there's no deficiency, there's nothing missing, nothing that doesn't work properly. You were born just like you should be."

"Then why are we like this?" He wished he hadn't sounded so… well, desperate. "Why can't I be an omega for him, or at least a real beta?"

She turned to look at him, again, and there was a strange look in her eyes. "Because, honey… those things are for humans."

Well. This was going to be a fun little talk, he could just tell.

*

"So." Billy fiddled with his bedspread, not looking Teddy in the eye. Down the corridor they could hear Billy's brothers making a racket, but they hadn't peeked in yet. Apparently they would at least have some peace.

"So." Teddy tried not to let his own nervousness show. "You said you had something to tell me?" At least that had been what Billy had said on the phone, sounding rather distressed. He didn't seem obviously injured, which was a relief, but that just left Teddy imagining all kind of different scenarios of just what could be the matter.

"Um, yeah. It's… kind of a major thing, too."

"Right." Teddy drew a breath. "I've got something to tell you, too. Something big."

Billy narrowed his eyes in a manner that might have seemed serious if he hadn't known Billy so well. "If you're pregnant, it's not mine."

That startled a laugh out of Teddy. "Oh, God no," he breathed. "No, it's not that. But… it's almost as bad, really."

"Have you been secretly fighting crime without me and now you've got a villain after you so you've got to break up with me for my own safety?"

"What? No." Teddy gave Billy a suspicious look. "But if that's your news, you're in for a disappointment. I like you more than I like being safe."

"Fine. What is it, then?" It did not escape Teddy's attention that Billy had neatly avoided being the first to tell his news. Ah, well. He could just as well get it out of the way.

"I'm a space alien." As though he'd get away with something that simple.

Billy paused, looking at Teddy with narrowed eyes. "Not funny, Tee."

"I'm not joking." Teddy sighed. "Mom finally decided to tell me I'm a real, honest to God space alien. I'm even green."

"You don't look very green to me." Billy sounded weary, like he'd had far too long a day already and didn't have patience for jokes. Teddy almost felt guilty, but he had to get this out now that he'd started.

"Yeah, well, that's the other thing." He rubbed the back of his head a bit sheepishly, then let his face take its usual green form. "I'm kind of a shapeshifter. I always thought it was a mutation or something but apparently, it's a racial ability. Species ability? I'm not entirely sure how the terminology works here."

At first, Billy just stared. And stared. Then, just as Teddy was starting to worry that he had broken his boyfriend somehow, Billy blinked. "So, is that why you're… not anything?"

"That's what mom says, yeah. Apparently our, um, species only has male and female genders, nothing else. It's also why I don't react to any pheromones; I don't have any programmed responses to human scents. Because, ah, I'm not human." Wow, this was sounding really outlandish now that he said it aloud.

"Wow." Billy shook his head slowly. "After that, my news is going to sound pretty ordinary."

"Try me."

"So it turns out I'm a mutant."

Teddy's eyes widened. That was not what he'd expected. "And how'd that come up?"

"Uh. You remember Kessler, right?"

Teddy nodded, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah, I do. And I thought I'd told him to stay away from you."

"Well, he did, but he was bullying someone else." Billy scratched his head. "And, being the heroic idiot I am, I went between them. He tried to attack me, then, and I… I think I shorted him out."

"You… what?" From what little Teddy knew about mutants, their powers often showed up in hazardous situations, so that made sense, but…

"His brain. I kind of shorted him out." Billy looked away from Teddy, now. "He's — he's in the hospital, now. I don't think anyone realizes it was me, the adults were talking about some kind of really strong epileptic fit, but I know it was me. There was a burst of electricity and everything. I think some others saw it, too."

"You've got legal protection, though, don't you?" That much he did remember of what woefully little they'd been taught about mutants at school. "I mean, it was self-defense. And they can't fault you for your powers coming in, either. That's a law, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but that's not the issue." Billy looked back at him, an anguished look on his face. "I'm a mutant, Teddy. I can make electricity. That means I'm even more of a freak than before."

"Oh, Bee." Teddy moved closer, hand cupping the side of Billy's face. "You're not a freak, you're wonderful. Wonderful and strong and special in all the good ways."

"How can you say that?" Billy whispered. "I might have fried his brain for good."

"You didn't mean to do it, though," Teddy pointed out. "And Kessler himself has hurt so many people on purpose, I don't think even he could count them. Please don't blame yourself, Billy. It wasn't your fault, it was just your powers protecting you."

"But — but I'm not —"

"Not what? Not normal? Not human?" Teddy kept his voice soft. "Billy… look at me. Do I look normal to you? Or human?" He gestured at his still green face with the hand that wasn't touching Billy. "Do you think I'm a freak?"

"Of course not," Billy replied, sounding a bit reluctant to admit his point. "You were born like that."

"Exactly. And you were born like that, even if it took a bit for the last special things about you to show up." Teddy hesitated a bit, then leaned in to press a soft kiss on Billy's lips. His own lips were a bit different in this form, harder and less pliant, but Billy was sweet as ever. "You're my mate, Bee," he murmured against his lips. "You're not getting away from that simply by turning into a human battery."

That earned him a chuckle from Billy. "I'm not?"

"Not at all." Then, though, Teddy winced. "Unless, of course, you don't want to be with me."

"Hmm… nah. I think if you can deal with me being a potential electrocution risk, I can handle the fact that this is technically xenophilia."

"Aw, you make it sound so sordid." Teddy grinned. "See, that's another good thing about my being an alien, I'm actually pretty sturdy. I'm sure I can handle a shock or two."

"Nice to know you have such trust in me." Billy couldn't be too annoyed, though, as he leaned closer, nuzzling his head under Teddy's chin. Teddy in response wrapped his arms around Billy, holding him close.

Neither of them moved until Billy's mother called from downstairs, telling them that dinner was ready, yes Teddy you're expected to come too, no I won't hear any excuses I'm not going to tell your mother I let her growing boy starve to death.

If Teddy did his best to will his body to leave some scent on Billy's hair, no alpha no beta just a hint of Teddy because that was what he was, well, he supposed it was about time.


End file.
